The latest from the Gang ... 

Hikers standing on the huge dolman rock: Marco A, Stephanie O, Maureen D,
Larry and Tina L, Ines A, Kathy and Paul W. Photo by Jill Falk

Twelve members joined in this gorgeous blue sky day to hike 4.5 miles of forest on winding trails. The hike included highlights of ancient prayer rocks, the nose boulder, and the dolman rock formations.

After the hike we sat at the picnic tables to socialize and share snacks including delicious oatmeal white chocolate chip and cranberry cookies baked by Stephanie.

Stephanie

All twenty-two of us couldn't have asked for a better day!  The weather was perfect, and the leaf colors were terrific.  Thirteen of us went on the 10-mile ride, meandering through the leaf filled wooded areas, the farms, the protected area in Carlisle where we saw the beaver habitat and wood duck boxes on the water - a bog, a swamp?  I'm not sure what it is called. The wood ducks are very colorful, medium sized birds that build their homes in the brush or trees near more shallow waters.  They are ok in cold weather, but I don't know if they migrate anywhere for the winter. We didn't see any. As we moved on we went over the Concord River where we saw some people kayaking.  As the ride progressed, we went through the area called Huckins Farm area where there are a number of horse farms and trees with most spectacularly colored leaves as you can see in the pictures.
The nine 20-milers came in shortly after the 10-milers, which showed how slowly we went, stopping often to enjoy the scenery and the colors.  The food again was terrific.  We even had a pizza. The 20-milers all said they enjoyed the ride immensely too.
   Alas Bedford Farms Ice Cream was closed that day.

Thank you all for coming!

Mary W

Thank you Mary for organizing our Spring and Fall Rides!
You look wonderful surrounded by Fall colors.

What a beautiful fall day we had for our tour of the historic Eustis Estate in Milton which was built in 1878 for the prominent Bostonian family of W.E.C. Eustis.  The tour provided detailed information about the Aesthetic Movement in architecture in the late 19th century plus stories of the original residents and duties of their domestic staff.

After absorbing all the history of the home and walking around the grounds, our group left to get lunch at The Trillium Brewery nearby. It was a good end to an interesting day.

Kathi W

Joy T, Linda McH, Pam K, Deb G, Carol B , Dawn M, Barbara M, Nancy C, Lisa S, Judy T, Anne H and Beverly C

The Northern Mystery group was drawn into a lively reenactment of a historical witch trial starting in Derby Square in Salem.

Bridget Bishop, the first “witch” to be hanged, is spotted by costumed Puritans, and dragged screaming into the Old Town Hall to be interrogated by her accusers.

The twelve members of our group were asked to be the jury and listen to the evidence. The actors were great, and knew their history from top to bottom. They were also great at improvising, and allowed us, the jury, to take a vote as to Bridget’s  guilt or innocence.

Of course, we set her free. Unfortunately, Bridget was actually hanged in 1693 after the first witch trial.

Ann H and Barbara M

Nine TOHG kayakers enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and variable breeze to paddle two miles on the Ipswich River from the Foote Brothers kayak rental  location. There was a lot of chatting and catching up along the way.  Four of us went to the Ipswich Clam Box afterwards for a lunch of fried clams and fish.  A great day.

Meredith P

Ines, Alan, Larry, Pat, Kate, Robin, Laurie, Marco, Janis, Dan, Sue
Behind the camera Miriam, missing David and Jackie

A total of 14 cyclists completed the East Bay Bike Path, with headwind on the way to Colt State Park, which kept us cool in spite of the heat. 

Everyone enjoyed the pause at Colt State Park with lunch, conversations, and the obligatory group photo.

After lunch, we cycled over less traveled  paths dedicated to cycling and walking through the park, past the Coggeshall Farm Museum, which unfortunately was closed. The rest of the way back we had wonderful tailwind which helped us get to our final destination: Dari Bee ice cream shop in Riverside, RI.

Ines A

Daniel, Ilene, Maureen, Sandy, Pat, Larry, Toby, Jill, Dotty.
Miriam in the first picture, far left, could not join us for lunch.

What better way to spend a hot, sunny, summer day than on the water in a kayak!  Eleven gang members met at Nantasket Kayak in Hull and paddled the entire length of the Weir River, passing the windmill and an osprey nest, to the end and back.  
While paddling up the river we encountered a fisherman whose line was in our path. We changed course to avoid his line. He thanked us and Ilene shouted “we’re bringing you good luck”. Just then, there was a tug on his line and we watched as he pulled in a 2 foot striper. Amazing timing!
Following the paddle everyone gathered at Pat's home for a luncheon in my back yard under the gazebo.  Long time member, Toby had several good stories to tell creating great camaraderie among the gang.

Pat G

Joan, Marco, Ines, Daryl, Linda, Elaine, Joe, Eileen, Maureen, and Barbara

For some of the group, the Cape Cod Canal Cruise was a trip down memory lane—a two-hour boat ride on the HyLine Cruise ship. Four of us from Foxboro arrived early and enjoyed walking around the town and getting in a little lunch before the cruise.

The remaining six members of the “Gang” met us at the Onset ticket office before sailing. We were blessed with a #10 day to enjoy the Canal and the narration of its history. When we returned, we enjoyed various repasts, although ice cream was a favorite!

Joan S

Dori, Kathy, Lainie, Meredith, Karen, and Jan (with Jane behind the camera).

A group of seven TOHG members spent an enjoyable morning in Westford, MA at The Butterfly Place, where we mingled with many different types of butterflies flying around the atrium. Several landed on us and one on Kathy didn’t want to leave. We had to shoo it away!

Before going into the atrium, we also watched a 15-minute video telling us about the life cycles and metamorphosis of butterflies. They are truly magnificent, beautiful creatures, part of nature’s wonders. Such a variety of colors and fascinating patterns!

After spending about an hour admiring them and taking lots of pictures, we went to the Westford 99 Restaurant for a tasty lunch together with Chris B also joining us.

Jane P

Beverly, Polly, Deb, Carole, Nancy, Pam, Barbara, Judy, and Anne.

The North Mystery Group visited the Service Dog Project (SDP) in Ipswich, MA. Our tour guide, Dez, introduced us to several of the 30+ dogs currently in training to assist the disabled population. SDP has trained and donated 190 certified Great Dane service dogs to people who have difficulty with their mobility and balance.

Visit them online for a heartwarming story of one woman’s dream to help the disabled.

Beverly C and Maryann D